Truth and Big Lies
If my calculations are correct, the New Zealand International Comedy Festival should be going on as you read these very words. The comedy festival is, like so many events on the […]
The more things change
Ever since I took over this column in early 2012, I feel like everything I have written has come with the subtext of coming change. Much as we love it, […]
You know, for the kids
There is a question that has been rattling round my head: why is it that cinephiles can so happily and publicly admit to the adoration of children’s films — half […]
Circa 2015
Circa Theatre has had an odd handful of years. The whole environment around the arts has shifted, and audiences with it. Circa’s greatest skill has always been knowing its audience […]
Something’s Fishy in the State of Theatremark
Some define art by saying that it is everything done without material purpose. Even ignoring the fact that this codifies the darkest corners of the Internet as art, this view […]
Theatre: BATS flies home
‘The black box’. A small, dark room tucked away at the back of a building that housed a strange […]
Man Alone
There is a long history of solo shows in this country. From the early iconic works of Bruce Mason — shows he would perform himself up and down the country, […]
Arts and Sciences
One of the least productive things going on in the current cultural conversation is the idea that the arts and the sciences need to be separate. A lot of this […]
The Biggest OE
I shouldn’t have to tell you that this year marks the centennial of the start of the First World War. The well-recorded and tragic involvement of many men from New […]
Learning in public
There are many advantages to writing for the stage. The feedback of a live audience is direct and often undeniable. It is easier, at least if you’re not looking to […]
